Photo Finish
by NemoNewbie
Summary: Bella hasn't seen her best friend in six years. When he decides to return to the country, will she reveal her true feelings? (AH,One Shot)


_Hey guys! I know I haven't updated Carlisle Helped in a while and I promise I am working on it, the next chapter should be up soon. Anyway, we had to write a short story in school and after changing some stuff around I decided to post it here. Let me know what you think!_

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**Photo**** Finish**

The woman paced the arrivals area impatiently. It was nearly empty in the small airport. There were only ten or so other people dotted around the place, looking at her suspiciously. She stopped walking and forced herself to breathe. It was no big deal, she told herself. She was only going to see her best friend after six years! Grinning, she thought back to the text she had received a week earlier. _'Bella Swan! Get ready to paint the town red, 'cause yours truly is coming back home!'_

She rang him immediately, completely disregarding the eight hour time difference between Forks, Washington and and London, England. "Edward Cullen! I swear if you are kidding again I will fly over there myself, shove you in a suitcase and force you to to your word for once!" He had been promising her the exact same thing for the past three years, but had backed out every time.

"Nope. This time I'm being serious Bells. I've turned freelance and I am returning home." Edward promised. They had been making preparations all week; Edward was going to stay in Bella's flat with her until he found a place for himself.

Bella was looking forward to Edward coming back from England. He was only supposed to be over there for a year apprenticeship with some top photographer in London. Then a year turned into two, then three, and eventually he just said that he would be home when he was ready. Bella hated it. She and Edward had been best friends since sophomore year when he transferred from Alaska.

She remembered when she first saw him in biology class. He walked in confidently, as if he had been in the school since first year and he belonged there. He walked up to the teacher to introduce himself and scanned the room when the teacher told him to sit down.

Thinking that he would probably sit at the back like the rest of the guys in their year, she turned back to her work and ignored him. She was shocked when the seat next to her pulled out and a body flopped casually onto it. She looked up in surprise to see the new guy looking at her with a speculative look on his face. After a minute he held his hand out a little grin. "Edward Cullen, photography extraordinaire." She had raised an eyebrow at that but shook his hand anyway. "Bella Swan, and you're a little over-confident aren't you?" He laughed and they were practically inseparable after that.

He wasn't wrong about the photography though. He really was brilliant at it. He took a photography course in New York and then moved to England for six years. Now, he was finally coming back.

Bella quickly glanced at her watch and then over at the arrivals board. She frowned. His flight should have been here ten minutes ago but there was still no sign of life from beyond the doors.

Suddenly, there was a surge of noise from Arrivals, the doors burst open, and the fifty or so people on the flight flowed through, some stopping to greet loved ones that were waiting for them and others just filing out the doors, eager to be home. Bella shuffled forward craning her neck and swinging her long brown hair from her eyes, hoping to catch a glimpse of Edward before he spotted her. She wanted a chance to ogle him and see how much he had changed in six years. Sure she had the pictures he had sent her but she knew that a picture could never capture the spirit of a person just right, at least as far as she had tried.

Slowly, the numbers dwindled down until there was only one couple, whispering sweet nothings to each other as they slowly made their way from the almost empty airport. Bella's hope was slowly fading away as she realized that nobody else would be walking out of the doors anytime soon. She was really hoping that Edward had been serious this time and she was surprised that he hadn't at least text her to tell her that he wasn't coming. She was surprised when she felt a lone tear sliding down her face.

She was just about to turn around and leave when she felt a sharp jab on her sides, just under her ribs, while a voice breathed into her ear, "Guess who?" She squealed and jumped forward, clutching where she had been tickled. She twirled around to find Edward standing there grinning sheepishly with his bags at his feet. Despite the fact that she had warned him never to tickle her again after an awkward incident in their final year at high school, Bella could not find it in her to be mad at him. Instead she launched herself into his open arms, wrapped her arms around his neck and breathed in his familiar husky smell. He smelt of peppermint and 'Lynx Attract'. He had worn the body spray ever since she had bought him the gift set of it as a joke, saying maybe he would be able to attract a decent girlfriend for once. He teased her right back and bought her the one for girls saying that she could do the same.

"I missed you Ed", she whispered to him.

"Missed you too Bellzy." he whispered back hugging her closer He had started calling her Bellzy-bub during their first year of uni when he had attempted to cook dinner for them and promptly destroyed the kitchen. She raged at him for hours and her nickname eventually shortened to just Bellzy.

Bella pulled back and smacked him on the arm. "Ow, woman! What was that for?" Edward exclaimed.

"Don't you ever, and I mean ever, do that again Edward Cullen! I thought you had changed your mind and stayed in London without telling me." She pouted childishly.

"I'm sorry Bella. I just wanted to surprise you," he shrugged.

"That's fine Edward." She pulled back and got a better look at him. "Looking good in your old age Eddie." She teased.

"Old age!" he protested. "I'll have you know I'm only twenty-four." Bella looked at him. "Twenty-six?" She raised an eyebrow. "Alright, alright, I'm twenty-eight as you very well know."

"Yes, I do. But mean it Edward, you do look good. London was obviously very good for you." And he did look good. His bronze, fly-away hair was even more windswept from when he had walked from the plane to the terminal, his deep emerald eyes were shining with happiness, his skin was a golden brown tanned color and he seemed to have grown a couple of inches, placing him at a tall six foot, two. He was the quintessential model, if that was what he was interested in anyway.

"Thanks Bellzy. Now it's your turn. Spin around and let me look at you." he insisted. She looked at him bemused, but spun around to appease him. He whistled low in his throat as he looked her up and down. "Wow girl. You grew up! When did that happen?" he teased.

"Well that's what happens when you miss six years of someone's life Edward. You miss a lot." Bella said, her mood dropping quickly.

"Sorry Bellzy." He mumbled. "Well I'm back now and I can help you find a decent boyfriend!" he grinned.

She looked up at him in alarm. "No Edward. I said I was fine and I meant it. How about you?" She asked, trying to distract him. "Did you find anyone special over there?"

"Now, now Bella," he teased. "You know I'm just waiting for you to see the light!"

"Keep dreaming Eddie-boy!" she teased right back, but her heart ached with longing as they walked out of the airport. "I know I am." She whispered to herself.


End file.
